My high school experience was extremely different than what many people imagine high school to be. I attended an all-girls private, catholic high school called Notre Dame Academy in Hingham, Massachusetts. Everyone dressed the same every day with their kilts and knee socks, and eighty percent of the students were over-achievers, athletic, and wore their hair in a messy buns. There were 137 kids in may graduating class, and every one of them is in college right now. Ironically, this school helped to shape me into the unique individual who I am today. In a classroom filled with plaid kilts, I had to find my own way to stand out. I did this but working the hardest that I could, day after day, to be the best me that I could be. A couple of months ago, I opened a letter that I wrote to myself freshman year about who I hoped I would be by the end of my senior year. I had written that I want everyone to know my name, and that I wanted my name to be associated with kindness and big accomplishments. Well, of course everyone knew my name; it was a small school. However, I was extremely happy looking back at the accomplishments that I had achieved during my time in high school. I was able to realize that I got to where I wanted to be through my own hard-work. Not only did I accomplish a lot, but I learned a lot about who I was, as well as who I wanted to be. I enjoyed every minute of NDA, and I would do anything to relive any given moment of it. I had so many role models, and my teachers and peers were constantly encouraging me to work my hardest at all times, but I also met some people who showed me exactly who I didn't want to be.
High school taught me that who I become as a student is a direct result of my own decisions. Freshman and sophomore year, I plugged away, working hard on homework and at gymnastics. It wasn't until junior year that I hit a big bump in the road. A couple of girls, whom I had many classes with, started to get too caught up in class rank and academic competition, and they even cheated to get the top grades. I was presented with two options: to conform to what everyone else was doing, or to be independent and work my hardest. Grades have always been important to me, but not because I wanted to be top of the class. In fact, that was never a goal of mine. I simply liked the feeling of hard work paying off when I got a good grade on a test or essay that I spent so much time on. These other girls were extremely smart, but started to feel the pressure of being a part of a highly competitive all-girls school. They turned to cheating, with equations on the back of their calculators and skipping school the day of tests, only to ask what was on those tests later. One girl in particular, the shoe-in for class valedictorian, barely even came to school senior year because she would stay home to study extra, and then find out what was on the test from girls who had taken the test on time. I had a really hard time watching them do this, and then seeing other girls slave away, studying for hours, coming to class on the day of the test, taking it on time, and then receiving a significantly lower grade than the girls who cheat. The worst part about it was that the teachers saw it happening, and turned the other cheek because the families of these girls were so esteemed in the eyes of the administrative staff of the school. This was a clear injustice, and I knew that. However, I knew that I still had a choice, and I chose not to cheat. In the end, it is all up to the students to decide his or her level of academic integrity.
This idea extended past the classroom, and I slowly realized that my whole character is built upon my own personal decisions. Actually, one of these girls who cheated was my gymnastics co-captain, and she only participated in the sport to get the credit of being a three season captain and athlete. In the beginning, I do believe that she liked it. But, by the time senior year roles around, she was clearly lacking interest. She didn't like the practices, and would flat out say it all the time. She did not talk to many members of the team, because she didn't actively try to be a captain; she was only going through the motions. Gymnastics was on the bottom of her priority list, when it was supposed to be at the top (as a varsity high school sport). She found ways to gain excused absences for skipped practices, and her heart was never into the team. This also bothered me, because I watched her do this every day, and then see her get praised by others for being "the girl that did everything" while so many other members of the team were really committed and hard-working, but did not receive nearly as much credit from their peers and teachers. I would have so much rather seen some hard-working devoted juniors compete than watch this girl compete, and then complain that she had to do it. Once again, I saw this as an unfair situation, but there was nothing I could do to change it. The only thing that I was in chafe of was myself. So, I chose to continue to work my hardest and motivate my teammates, simply because I love the sport.
These two scenarios actually helped me to shape who I am today. Instead of conforming and acting like these girls, I decided that I was going to be different. When I thought about it, I wouldn't have traded places with them in a million years, no matter how much praise they got. I remained honest, and true to myself. I devoted my heart and soul into everything that I did, and I did it the right way. My hard work and devotion to gymnastics gained me a spot on the senior national team. When I got my final report card, I could proudly say that I earned every single one of the grades on there.
In the end, the decisions that I made paid off, and I was reassured along the way that I was doing something right. Many teachers, especially my senior year bioethics teacher really boosted my confidence, telling me that she can see the passion behind everything that I do. In fact, she even came to my dive meet, a couple gymnastics meets, and my play. After the play, she sent me an e-card telling me how much loved the show, and that she could see why I love it so much. She made me feel important, and I will forever be grateful for the individual attention that she gave me. My high school gymnastics coach was the same way. She would often send me texts, especially at the end of the season, telling me that my passion brought so much to the team, and that it will be missed next year. Within my last couple of years of high school, I decided that I am a woman of honesty, determination, and passion not only in academics, but in everything that I do. If I want something bad enough, I am going to work as hard as I can to get it, the right way. As a student, I was faced with choices everyday, and sometimes "doing the right thing" was not easy. However, it pays off in the end, because ultimately, a person's is a collection of his or her decisions.
The two girls never got caught for cheating, and they went on to become the class salutatorian and valedictorian, both being accepted to very esteemed colleges. At graduation, they were praised for their hard work and devotion, and I still had trouble dealing with the fact that they cheated their way to the top. However, during graduation, I was in Ft. Myers, Florida competing for that national gymnastics team. I saw their pictures with their medals on Instagram, and I thought "No, I wouldn't want to trade places with them for the world."
High school taught me that who I become as a student is a direct result of my own decisions. Freshman and sophomore year, I plugged away, working hard on homework and at gymnastics. It wasn't until junior year that I hit a big bump in the road. A couple of girls, whom I had many classes with, started to get too caught up in class rank and academic competition, and they even cheated to get the top grades. I was presented with two options: to conform to what everyone else was doing, or to be independent and work my hardest. Grades have always been important to me, but not because I wanted to be top of the class. In fact, that was never a goal of mine. I simply liked the feeling of hard work paying off when I got a good grade on a test or essay that I spent so much time on. These other girls were extremely smart, but started to feel the pressure of being a part of a highly competitive all-girls school. They turned to cheating, with equations on the back of their calculators and skipping school the day of tests, only to ask what was on those tests later. One girl in particular, the shoe-in for class valedictorian, barely even came to school senior year because she would stay home to study extra, and then find out what was on the test from girls who had taken the test on time. I had a really hard time watching them do this, and then seeing other girls slave away, studying for hours, coming to class on the day of the test, taking it on time, and then receiving a significantly lower grade than the girls who cheat. The worst part about it was that the teachers saw it happening, and turned the other cheek because the families of these girls were so esteemed in the eyes of the administrative staff of the school. This was a clear injustice, and I knew that. However, I knew that I still had a choice, and I chose not to cheat. In the end, it is all up to the students to decide his or her level of academic integrity.
This idea extended past the classroom, and I slowly realized that my whole character is built upon my own personal decisions. Actually, one of these girls who cheated was my gymnastics co-captain, and she only participated in the sport to get the credit of being a three season captain and athlete. In the beginning, I do believe that she liked it. But, by the time senior year roles around, she was clearly lacking interest. She didn't like the practices, and would flat out say it all the time. She did not talk to many members of the team, because she didn't actively try to be a captain; she was only going through the motions. Gymnastics was on the bottom of her priority list, when it was supposed to be at the top (as a varsity high school sport). She found ways to gain excused absences for skipped practices, and her heart was never into the team. This also bothered me, because I watched her do this every day, and then see her get praised by others for being "the girl that did everything" while so many other members of the team were really committed and hard-working, but did not receive nearly as much credit from their peers and teachers. I would have so much rather seen some hard-working devoted juniors compete than watch this girl compete, and then complain that she had to do it. Once again, I saw this as an unfair situation, but there was nothing I could do to change it. The only thing that I was in chafe of was myself. So, I chose to continue to work my hardest and motivate my teammates, simply because I love the sport.
These two scenarios actually helped me to shape who I am today. Instead of conforming and acting like these girls, I decided that I was going to be different. When I thought about it, I wouldn't have traded places with them in a million years, no matter how much praise they got. I remained honest, and true to myself. I devoted my heart and soul into everything that I did, and I did it the right way. My hard work and devotion to gymnastics gained me a spot on the senior national team. When I got my final report card, I could proudly say that I earned every single one of the grades on there.
In the end, the decisions that I made paid off, and I was reassured along the way that I was doing something right. Many teachers, especially my senior year bioethics teacher really boosted my confidence, telling me that she can see the passion behind everything that I do. In fact, she even came to my dive meet, a couple gymnastics meets, and my play. After the play, she sent me an e-card telling me how much loved the show, and that she could see why I love it so much. She made me feel important, and I will forever be grateful for the individual attention that she gave me. My high school gymnastics coach was the same way. She would often send me texts, especially at the end of the season, telling me that my passion brought so much to the team, and that it will be missed next year. Within my last couple of years of high school, I decided that I am a woman of honesty, determination, and passion not only in academics, but in everything that I do. If I want something bad enough, I am going to work as hard as I can to get it, the right way. As a student, I was faced with choices everyday, and sometimes "doing the right thing" was not easy. However, it pays off in the end, because ultimately, a person's is a collection of his or her decisions.
The two girls never got caught for cheating, and they went on to become the class salutatorian and valedictorian, both being accepted to very esteemed colleges. At graduation, they were praised for their hard work and devotion, and I still had trouble dealing with the fact that they cheated their way to the top. However, during graduation, I was in Ft. Myers, Florida competing for that national gymnastics team. I saw their pictures with their medals on Instagram, and I thought "No, I wouldn't want to trade places with them for the world."